


The Potions Cupboard

by DinoRoar



Series: Parchments of Prompt Responses [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Space, Angst, Astronaut Remus Lupin, Astronaut Sirius Black, Astronauts, Autumn, Barista Sirius Black, Best Friends, Brothers, Camping, Character Death, Dessert & Sweets, Doomed to Fail, Falling In Love, Fathering Teddy, Fatherly Harry, Female Friendship, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Found Family, Freedom, Friendship, Gay James Potter, Gay Regulus Black, Gay Remus Lupin, Gay Sirius Black, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hero Worship, Hogsmeade, Honeydukes, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Jamulus, Lonely Neville, Low Self-Esteem, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Mentor/Protégé, Multi, Murder, POV Neville Longbottom, POV Sirius Black, Platonic Relationships, Poisoning, Post-Hogwarts, Pranking, Rain, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Sad Neville, Sirius Black & James Potter Friendship, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, Sirius Black Lives, Sirius Black's Flying Motorbike, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Spying, Stargazing, Strong Female Characters, Sugar Quills, Tea, The Marauder's Map, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Unhappy Ending, Writer Remus Lupin, Young Regulus Black, Young Sirius Black, idolisation, self-respect, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26027170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinoRoar/pseuds/DinoRoar
Summary: The place where all my one-shots and stand alone stories are stored. Different pairings, characters, generations etc., non-linear and not always cannon.[1] The Mirror Image (Teddy)[2] Freedom Ride (Sirius)[3] Their Stormy Eyes (Sirius&Regulus)[4] The Best Laid Plans (Lavender/Cormac)[5] Partners in Mayhem (Fred&George&Sirius&Remus)[6] The Loneliest Snowflake (Neville)[7] Tea for Two (Sirius/Remus)[8] Tent Pegs & Torrential Rain (James/Regulus)[9] All The Stars (Sirius/Remus)[10] Angelic Hands of Death (Blaise)[11] Sugar Sweet Explorations (Dean&Seamus)
Relationships: Fred Weasley & George Weasley, Lavender Brown & Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown/Cormac McLaggen, Regulus Black & Sirius Black, Regulus Black/James Potter, Seamus Finnigan & Dean Thomas, Sirius Black & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Teddy Lupin & Harry Potter
Series: Parchments of Prompt Responses [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1719328
Kudos: 41





	1. The Mirror Image (Teddy)

**Author's Note:**

> Every time Teddy looks in the mirror, all he can see is the weight of his parents legacy upon his shoulders.

When Teddy Lupin looked in the mirror, all he could see in his reflection, was the weight of his parents upon his shoulders. The weight of their expectations, and the expectations of those around him to live up to them. 

With his father’s amber eyes, and his mother’s facial shape, all Teddy could see when he looked in the mirror was his parents. He had spent his whole life hearing about how proud they would be of him, how amazing and strong they were, and how they had given their lives in a war to make sure he could have a happier life himself.

He had seen the way his godfather had clung to his image, constantly being told that he looked like his father, but with his mother’s eyes. He couldn’t understand why Harry would want to be seen as their mirror image. Teddy struggled every day to look in the mirror and see his parents staring back at him in his features, but not being there in person. He struggled to look and see himself in the mirror.

Teddy couldn’t do it. 

He couldn’t live with the constant pressures of being his parents child, being the child of heroes. 

He didn’t want to constantly be known as Nymphadora and Remus’ son. He loved his parents and the fact that they had made the biggest sacrifice in giving their lives for his future, but sometimes he just wanted to be Teddy.

He wanted people to look at him and see him as his own person, see him for his own accomplishments, and not compare him to everything his parents had achieved. He knew that they would be proud of him for anything he did in life, and that they would never want him to pretend to be something he wasn’t. 

He longed to just be Teddy.

Looking in the mirror, he watched as his hair morphed and turned teal. A colour that he associated with the vibrancy of his mother, regarded as a force of nature by so many that knew her. Blinking, his eyes flickered before transitioning into the vibrant shade of green shared by his godfather, someone that his father had respected and fought beside. It was almost a relief, he hadn’t felt such freedom since he was a small child, to suddenly feel the weight of the Wizarding World lifting off his young shoulders. He finally felt that he could be the person he was meant to be, the person that he had always been scared to be, less he not make his parents proud.

And even as he masked his true form, and undertook the façade of someone else, he still couldn’t forget his parents. Making sure that in some way, be it his hair colour or his eyes, he tried to make sure they were still with him. In doing so, he couldn’t forget that he wasn’t Nymphadora, and he wasn’t Remus, but he was still their son. He was Teddy Lupin, and he was his own person, with his own thoughts and a future that only he could decide.


	2. Freedom Ride (Sirius)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius reflects on the way society views him and his position in the world now that he has been declared innocent.

Sirius could feel the sun beating down upon his skin, his leather jacket soaking up the heat surrounding him. A pair of black sunglasses shielded his eyes from the piercing rays, but he could do little about the sweltering heat reverberating around him. There was the slightest of breezes, a dusty wind that provided little comfort or relief to the man who continued to push forward on his travels.

Most would find a long distance trip on a motorbike to be painful and arduous, but Sirius relished in the feeling of power and the sound of the engine beneath him, roaring as he gunned it down the empty dirt roads of the countryside. Motorbikes had been a part of his life for so long, they had become more than just a sign of his teenage rebellion and a means of transport. Ever since his trial and his innocence being proven, they had become his escape and his freedom from the rest of the world.

Driving down open country roads as a freed and innocent man once again, Sirius finally felt like he could breathe. He was finally freed, and his life was once again his own. Years before he could never believe that this day would ever come, that he would one day be able to experience life past the four walls of Azkaban. Sirius struggled with the reality of being able to go outside again, to ride his motorbike across the country and be free.

It was a nomadic lifestyle, just him, his bike and a bag of his most treasured possessions. Sirius didn’t feel like he had a place in the Wizarding world anymore. He felt like an outcast. Harry had grown up, was living his best life with Draco and Teddy, and had a flourishing career ahead of him. Sirius didn’t feel needed anymore. Sure, Harry loved to see him, and spending time together made it seem like they had never been apart, but the truth was that Sirius had been away for so long, he didn’t know how to fit in with the rest of his friends anymore. He didn’t know how to fit in with a world that had continued changing while he was locked away, stagnant and stuck in time.

If anything, the way people reacted to him now, was worse than when he was imprisoned. At least when he was in Azkaban, he didn’t have to face the looks of disapproval and distrust. He didn’t have to feel the eyes of a nation constantly staring at him. Constantly waiting for him to slip up and do something dark, proving to them that they were right, and he was guilty. The weight of the expectations and peoples ideals upon his shoulders, were heavier than he ever thought possible. 

Sirius hated that people expected him to be 100% perfect and on his best behaviour at all times. It was as if his official pardon meant nothing. That he still had to prove to society that he was innocent. He was expected to be someone that Sirius didn’t know and had never been before. He had always been a troublemaker, cheeky and mischievous. James used to say that he was the epitome of a bad boy, and that’s what drew people to him, like flies to honey. He permeated a dangerous, thrill seeking aura, and yet now he was expected to repress it for the comfort of others and to protect their sensitivities. That was something that Sirius couldn’t see himself doing. 

He needed the freedom of the road and the ability to be whoever the hell Sirius Black was, because he sure didn’t know anymore. He needed to be free to decide for himself what kind of person he was. After twelve years of being chained away, Sirius didn’t know who he was, or who he was destined to be anymore. All he wanted, was to no longer be a shell of his younger self and to find something that once again made him feel alive. 

Sirius supposed that really, he had always been an outcast in society. He had never fit in with what was expected of him as a Black. A Gryffindor and a Blood Traitor wasn’t exactly what his parents had been aiming for when producing an heir to carry the Black name. He had fallen in love with certain aspects of muggle life, his overflowing collection of records and love for muggle movies could attest to that. Yet even in the muggle world he was outcasted for the way he dressed and acted. He had always been partial to making a statement, and that included the way he dressed. Leather jackets over silk shirts paired with tight trousers of denim or leather, finished with the handmade studded boots he treasured, his whole appearance oozed deviance and trouble. Paired with a motorbike, all of the doors that could have been opened to him due to his family standing were shut in his face at the sight of his muggle appreciation.

Yet even with everything against him, Sirius couldn’t bring himself to change the fundamentals of who he was as a person. He was Sirius Black, an outcast and an oddity, whether he was in the Wizarding or Muggle World. But even then, Sirius couldn’t help but to relish in the added label, he embraced the rejection of society and welcomed the life of an outcast. Welcomed a life on the road, and everything it gave him. Freedom, complete control of everything in his life, and the ability to reject the rules of society. The ability to come and go as he pleased, the ability to roam free, it was all he needed.

Riding down country roads in the blistering heat, Sirius had never felt as free as he did in that moment. It was almost as if he was invincible. Just him and his motorbike, with nothing to stop him from going where he wanted. It was the ultimate freedom ride.


	3. Their Stormy Eyes (Sirius&Regulus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Identical pairs of grey eyes can’t help but to clash in the corridors, Sirius and Regulus can’t help but to reflect on each other, even as they take their stand on opposite sides of the battlefield.

As they passed each other in the corridors, identical pairs of stormy grey eyes clashed. They latched upon one another, a vivid window into their emotions as they both seethed with anger, betrayal and the barest hints of longing. And yet most prevalent, was the inescapable loss they both felt regarding the other, like they had lost a small piece of themselves in crossfires of their anger. 

They were dressed in identical black robes. One piped in crimson and gold, and the other trimmed in emerald and silver. Just one of the many cases of the pair being so similar, and yet complete opposites all at once. One was a Gryffindor, brave and mischievous with a penchant for getting into trouble and breaking rules. The other, a Slytherin, ambitious and cunning, he aspired to succeed in life, and he knew exactly who and what he needed to get there. Two complete opposites who wanted completely different things in life, and yet there had once been a time where they were all each other had.

The brothers had been each other’s safety nets in a house filled with violence and darkness. The only hope they had was that one day they would escape that life and live the lives they wanted to. They had always been close, and nothing could separate them. Except for time. Sirius being sent of to Hogwarts had left Regulus at the mercy of his family and their harsh teachings, and slowly he had found himself being melded into believing their way of life. When Sirius came back, his brother was gone, and in his place, another child that was destined to follow the path of darkness.

Sirius had always tried to protect his brother from the reality of the world surrounding them. He had always endeavored to be the protector his brother needed, putting Regulus before himself always. While the teenager before him now was a stranger, his eyes would always remind Sirius of the little boy who would clutch onto his robes as they wandered through Diagon Alley as children. They were the same eyes that would stare at Sirius adoringly, as if he hung the moon just for him.

Regulus had always struggled to find himself in life, torn between who his parents expected him to be, and who Sirius wished for him to be. He had always tried to meet the expectations of everyone surrounding him, trying to fill the void of the Black heir left in Sirius’ wake, while also trying to be the person his brother wished him to be. He struggled to reconcile the Sirius stood before him, with the Sirius that had always been his protector, his older brother who was always happy to involve Regulus in his adventures and games.

So much time had passed, and the rift between them had grown so deep there was no way to mend it. There was no hiding their love for one another, they were family, something they both held to be important to themselves, but things had changed. They had changed. Sirius had found himself a new family, one that shared his ideals for a world that was equal, and in doing so, he left his blood, he left Regulus behind. Regulus had shown his loyalty to the bloodlines that created him, and to the beliefs of those who had raised him, and that meant forgetting his brother.  
Incidentally they had chosen their sides in the war that was looming, and only time could tell how soon it would be until they would meet on opposite sides of the battlefield. But for now, they both tried to soak up the details they never wanted to forget. The way the Sirius’ hair was carelessly tousled, the way Regulus’ sleeves were splattered with dots of ink. The fact that they both twirled their wands in their hands when they were unsure of something, twisting the wood around their fingers like as if it were a baton. 

As noise began to fill the corridors, the pair released themselves from the intense stare they had found themselves locked in. They were highly likely to cross paths while they both continued their education at Hogwarts, but they knew that it would never be the same again. There would no longer be shared grins across the Great Hall at dinner time, or ruffles of the hair as they passed each other in the corridors on their way to class. It was as if they suddenly realised how pivotal this moment was for themselves and their relationship. They would always be brothers, but they could never have the same relationship again. 

For the final time, two pairs of identical grey eyes met in the corridor. They held within them a lifetime of shared memories, from times when everything was simpler. Neither wanted to be the first to take the step towards their future, breaking their stare, and breaking their relationship. And yet, neither wanted the last shreds of their relationship to be ripped apart by their reluctance. So, neither waited, and instead they carried on with their separate lives. Passing each other in the corridor, but never making contact. Like two ships with an ocean between them, the relationship between Sirius and Regulus would never be what it once was.


	4. The Best Laid Plans (Lavender/Cormac)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lavender had spent her whole life dreaming and planning for her future with her soulmate at her side. But when he betrays her, she has enough respect for herself to tell him where to go.

"Please... tell me what I can do to fix this!"

"At this point I don't think there's anything you can do." She should have known better than to think he would be different. She should have known that their being soulmates would hold no bearing on the way he treated her. It was too much to expect him to change his ways for her, and yet the betrayal still stung.

When they had met and realised they had each other’s words tattooed upon their skin, it was like being hit with a truck. Emotions she had never expected before, joy, excitement and adoration slammed into her with such strength and urgency, she could barely stay upright. It was all of those feelings that eclipsed her previous thoughts of him, drowning out the rumours of his playboy ways. It made it easier to ignore the whispers surrounding the castle, whispers of him meeting with girls in the broom closets or in the dark and hidden corners of the dungeons. 

Somehow, she had made herself believe that he loved her like she loved him, that he would never stray, and their allegiance would be for one another. She shielded herself from harsh reality of his true character for so long, until she could hide from it no more. Face to face with the truth, there was little more that she could do. She had given him everything she had, her loyalty had never faltered, and she struggled to reconcile the man before her with the masquerade that he had hidden behind for so long.

He could hide his actions no more, caught in the act. Lavender refused to allow her eyes to stray behind him, to lay eyes on the female that had finally allowed her to see the light, the last one to come between the pair. She focused solely on him, her eyes maintaining their intense stare, unwavering in their fierceness. She could see that he was torn between speaking up and fighting, for their soul bond, not their forgery of a relationship. But there were no words that she wanted to hear from his mouth, she had no want to hear the words on his lips, perchance he spew more liquid poison and lies.

Lavender had always been viewed as the dipsy girl of Gryffindor, no one perceived her as strong or confident. They all thought she had her head in the clouds and that romance was the only thing she had her eyes set on. And they were right. Lavender had grown up dreaming of the day she would get to meet her soulmate, constantly planning for her future and knowing that all she wanted out of life was to love someone and be loved in return. 

But she also had self-respect. 

She knew that as much as she wanted the life she had planned since childhood, with her soulmate at her side, she also wanted to be love. She wanted to be someone’s one and only, the way her mother was to her father. Lavender knew that if she stayed with him, she would never be his priority, she would never be the only woman in his life. She was willing to sacrifice her soul bond, her love for him and every single hope and dream that rested upon their life together. She would give up the one thing she had always wanted, and she would do it knowing that there had to be something better for her, someone better for her. She didn’t think she would grieve over their relationship, knowing that from the start she had been set up to fail. Instead, she would grieve over all of the dreams she had created for herself, and the future she had planned for so long. However, she refused to believe that this would be her last chance at love.

Building up the strength to say her final words, to put the final nail in the coffin that was their relationship, Lavender looked to her side. As always, Parvati was right beside her, being the friend that Lavender could always rely on. They both knew that come the evening, it would be Parvati holding her as she sobbed over the pain of her soulmates actions. Yet looking at Parvati and knowing that she wouldn’t be alone, that she wouldn’t be the only person with a broken soul bond made everything just a bit better. They would look after each other, they always did. And that’s when Lavender knew she could do it. Turning back to Cormac, the one that ruined everything, she made sure to fully capture his attention, wanting her words to be clear and final.

"Do me a favour, will you?" He immediately perked up at her words, as if expecting that she was going to forget what he’d done and take him back. That alone disgusted her enough to know that she was doing the right thing.

"What's that?" 

"Forget that you ever met me."


	5. Partners in Mayhem (Fred&George&Sirius&Remus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred and George’s only wish is to find out who their idols, The Marauders are. Sirius is only happy to reveal all to them.

“Check this out, Cormac McLaggen’s in the broom cupboard again!”

“The one on the 4th floor?”

“Uh, yeah. New girl this time though.”

“The last one didn’t last long then did she?” 

“It’s McLaggen, of course they didn’t last.” The pair broke into raucous laughter, shoulders shaking as they tried to contain themselves. They had managed to slip away from their mother and the rest of their siblings into an old attic room, intent on keeping up to date with the latest gossip surrounding the corridors of Hogwarts. 

Fred and George lived for laughter, drama and general chaos. In fact, they had an affinity to search out the calmest places and create mass mayhem. Being consistently aware of the Hogwarts gossip mill helped to develop their products, they liked to consider it a form of market research. Plus, it was highly entertaining to always be in the know. The best tool for constantly staying up to date on the goings on around the castle, was through the Marauders Map. They had felt compelled to pass it on to Harry a couple of years prior, but he was willing to share it when they requested. Being stuck inside Grimmauld Place left him with no need for the map and he willingly handed it over to the twins when they had requested its use.

The twins adored the map and constantly wished they could finally work out who had created such a glorious piece of pranking material! It was life changing, being able to constantly be aware of oncoming obstacles, exit strategies were much easier to plan, and it had vastly reduced the amount of time they had been caught. Overall, it had saved them so many times, and they felt indebted to the creators for sending them down the path of pranking royalty.

“I wish we could-”

“-find out who the Marauders were? Same George.”

“To have come up with such a masterpiece, it’s-”

“-truly legendary. Could you imagine how different-”

“-our life would’ve been without this.”

“Who would want to?”

The pair sighed in unison, just wondering who could have possibly been that creative to come up with something so amazing, and yet so skilled magically to undertake such a complex challenge. It was amazing, and yet many would just brush it off as being a simple map.

“Who ever they are Fred, they’re legends.” They settled in silence, continuing to look over and monitor the map. McLaggen was still occupied inside of the broom cupboard, and from the looks of things, was about to be caught red handed by Professor McGonagall. They had been so immersed in analysing the map, that they hadn’t realised that they were no longer alone, and hadn’t been for a while. A slight cough from the doorway shocked the pair into action, heads whipping around to face the doorway as hands scrambled to find a hiding place for the map. 

At the sight of Sirius leaning against the door frame the pair let out sighs of relief and paused their scrambled attempts at hiding any materials relating to pranks or the products they had secretly been creating. It was relief to see the escaped convict, he found their pranks hilarious and often helped them out with providing distractions when necessary. He was carefree for someone who’d been stuck in Azkaban for twelve years and was happy to be the victim of their mischief.

“Sirius, thank Merlin, we thought-”

“-it was mum or something.” The relief was clear in their voices and Sirius couldn’t help but to grin at the teenagers that reminded him so much of himself when he was younger. It had always been him and James that pushed for the biggest and boldest of pranks, Remus was always the voice of reason and provided most of the magical ability. It was truly exciting to see that there were others who had taken up the mantle of mischief makers, and Sirius knew they lived up to such a name. He had heard stories from Harry of how epic their pranks could be and the mayhem they managed to cause around the castle. 

“Don’t worry about it boys, what was it I heard about legends though?” Sirius had to be sure that they were, well, serious about their endeavours to cause mayhem before offering his expertise after all.

“Well, I suppose we could discuss it with you-”

“-as long as you vow never to tell our anyone of this.” They were stern as they spoke, with grins tugging at the corners of their lips and Sirius couldn’t help but bark out a laugh as he nodded solemnly in agreement.

“They’re called The Marauders!”

“They made this map, it’s amazing-”

“-and it shows you everything in Hogwarts, including secret passages-”

“-and the movements of everyone in the castle. Honestly, it’s probably the most amazing thing in magical creation.”

“I agree Fred! And we desperately want to know who made it, because we have so many questions, and they’re well, legends.” The room fell silent as the twins sucked in air. They had somehow managed to rush out an explanation with minimal breathing and it baffled Sirius at the way they could switch out of speaking so smoothly. At the same time, he couldn’t help but to admire the reverence in which the twins spoke. It was clear that they truly appreciated all of the effort that had been poured into the creation of the map, and Sirius couldn’t wait to share the rest of their ideas with the mischievous duo. But he couldn’t do it alone.

“Hear that babe, we’re legends.” He called over his shoulder as he sauntered into the room, his eyes alight with mischief and excitement as he approached the pair. The twins were frozen in shock at the revolution that they had spent months living with one of their biggest idols, an actual Marauder. It was unreal. The sight of their calm and unassuming ex-professor Remus Lupin strolling in behind Sirius was too much for the twins, surely it couldn’t be true. Surely Professor Lupin wasn’t a Marauder, it was all too much for the pair as they burst with questions.

“Boy, boys, boys,” Sirius raised a hand, stopping the barrage of questions that they had managed to stumble out of their mouths. They couldn’t contain their shock and excitement, clearly bubbling with joy at meeting some of the people they admired the most. “Don’t worry, you have plenty of time to ask us questions, after all, were going to mentor you in everything we know.” He finished with a flourish of the hand as the three other people in the room gaped at him with open mouths. The twins in pure shock and joy, whereas Remus was filled with disbelief, surely this was not what Sirius had planned.

“Sirius, no. this is a terrible idea.” He couldn’t believe that Sirius wanted to encourage the behaviour that he knew Molly disapproved of. 

“This is a fantastic idea. Can you imagine the mayhem they will cause; it’ll be beautiful Moony! Our very own protegees, Prongs would be so proud, and jealous of course, but proud all the same.” With that, all concerns that Remus had were dismissed as Sirius dived headfirst into planning with his new mentees, relishing in the way they worshipped his knowledge and expertise. Remus felt himself sink lower into the chair he had claimed as his own, realising that there was no getting through to Sirius.

“This is such a bad idea.”


	6. The Loneliest Snowflake (Neville)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neville longed for the day where he could be a normal child that could play in the snow, he equally longed for the day where his grandmother would no longer be disappointed at the sight of him.

Neville gazed out of the window, watching as snow began to fall right before his eyes. He was desperate to go outside and experience it in person, feel the chill on his nose and the wetness on his gloves as the snow melted in his hands. He longed to be able to go outside and play, run around and have fun in the winter chill. Instead of being outside and truly experiencing the wonders of the outside world, he was once again stuck inside his bedroom. His grandmother disliked it when Neville would behave in a manner that was unbecoming of someone in his social standing, and as such, Augusta Longbottom had put a series of rules in place to ensure he was the epitome of a proper heir.

Neville truly longed to finally make his grandmother proud of him, for her to finally see him for who he was, and not a pale imitation of everything his father would have been, if not for Bellatrix Lestrange’s actions. He tried so hard both academically and sociably, but he wasn’t his father, and he knew that disappointed his grandmother more than anything. Neville wished that he could go outside and experience things like the first snowfall of winter, something so many of his peers at Hogwarts considered normal. Instead, he was confined to his bedroom, once again going over the abundance of information regarding the Longbottom family history, its political standing in the Wizengamot and the allegiances they held with other families. It was long and arduous to constantly study something that he had no interest in, not like his plants. 

Allowing his gaze to briefly drift across his desk, he reassured himself that all of his newest cuttings were doing well under the assortment of charms the house elves had placed on them. It was too cold for them, having been imported from a variety of tropical countries, so heating charms were a must to ward of the chill of winter. He couldn’t wait for the day that they finally flourished, caring for them daily with a tender hand. As Neville inspected them, he noticed that Trevor was peeking out from behind the tray. As stealthy as possible, he scooped the toad up and moved him to the other side of the desk, giving him a gentle stroke as he did so. 

As much as he sometimes wished for an owl or a cat, something more interactive and useful as a pet, Neville did love his toad, and Trevor was truly one of the only things that helped him to get through the days in the manor he called home. It was lonely living with a grandmother that only saw her tortured son when she laid eyes upon him, and the few house elves in their employment, and so Neville spent most of his days alone in his room with Trevor. He couldn’t help but to thirst for some form of excitement to enter his life, allowing him the smallest of reprieves from his life of continuous monotony. 

In many ways, Neville had grown accustomed to the isolation of himself from the rest of the world, but it was days like this where he desperately wished his grandmother had socialised him as a child. The knowledge that other children were probably outside playing with their friends was hard, and Neville secretly wished that he could be anyone else in the world, just to experience that for himself. But Neville knew that dreams like that would never come true, and turned back to his books, ready to bore himself with more knowledge of Wizarding politics.

“At least I have you Trevor, you’re stuck with me forever I’m afraid.”


	7. Tea for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius had been scouring coffee shops across the town to find his soulmate, and when all else fails, he gets a job at Latte Luna in an attempt to, well, hurry fate along a little.

It was Sirius’ first day at Latte Luna and he was relishing in the role of barista and server extraordinaire. He was pretty sure he’d managed to impress the general manager Alice with his wit and general charming self. He had been nervous at first when he’d applied for the job, and the first day jitters had been going strong, but as soon as he served his first cup of coffee, he found that he was in his element. 

All throughout his school years the teachers would bemoan Sirius’ chatty nature and ability to talk himself out of anything, he couldn’t help that it came naturally to him. Pairing his talkative nature with his devilishly handsome looks, Sirius had managed to bring quite the attention to the little coffee shop. Alice had been surprised at first, apparently most Tuesdays were rather quiet until the after school crowd emerged, and yet it had been busy since Sirius stepped through the periwinkle door at 8:30 that morning.

When Alice had asked why he wanted to work at Latte Luna, Sirius didn’t want to admit that it was in the hopes of finding his soulmate that had led him to their doors. The words that were printed across his collarbone had made it so that he had enquired at every single coffee shop with vacancies in the area. Latte Luna had been the first to offer him a position, and the relaxed, easy-going atmosphere had ensnared him almost immediately. He had been allowed to wear whatever he wished, and the grey silk shirt and black jeans had perfectly complimented his little black apron tied around his waist. 

As he floated around the coffee shop, casually making conversation and throwing out compliments he collected up the dirty mugs and saucers scattered across the tables. Pausing to give a few milk splashed or sugar coated surface a wipe, his eyes couldn’t help being drawn to the enigma in the room. The solitary man in the corner, who had barely looked up from his laptop since he had entered the café almost two hours previously. He was stunning, a truly fine specimen, and Sirius couldn’t help but to pause and drink him in when possible. 

He was quickly knocked out of his trance as he accidentally knocked his hip into one of the tables. Ducking his head, he swiftly made his way towards the counter top, making his way towards Frank, the dishwasher to handover the collection of crockery he had amassed. Heading back towards the till he was intercepted by Alice who was attempting to hand over a steaming cup of tea, except it was a vivid shade of red and smelled oddly fruity.

“I need you to take this to Remus, the one writing in the corner. Don’t be surprised if he doesn’t speak to you though, he never talks,” and with that she thrust the burning cup into his hands, Sirius struggled for a second, attempting to hold it without it spilling. She had left him no explanation, and yet Sirius knew exactly who this cup of tea belonged to, there was only one man sat writing in the corner. 

Gazing at the ticket tucked between the cup and saucer, Sirius was surprised to see what the mysterious man had ordered. He had taken him as being a tea drinker for sure but was surprised at the flavour combination. Raspberry and lemon was an acquired taste, and somehow Sirius didn’t see the man he was heading towards being the kind to drink such an interesting tea. Finally approaching the table, Sirius could see that the man was even more beautiful than he expected, and yet it was the kind of beauty of a lost soul who was missing something in his life.

“I’ve got a raspberry and lemon tea for Remus? A nice fruit combo there for you gorgeous.” Sirius allowed the words to flow out, a flirtation smirk upon his lips as he allowed himself to meet the eyes of the man before him. Sirius felt his breath leave his body at the sight of brilliant amber eyes peeking at him through long, luscious lashes. There was a light in those eyes that had been missing the first time Sirius had seen him, it was as if everything had fallen into place, and everything he wished for had just appeared before his eyes.

“I’m gasping for something, but it definitely isn’t raspberry and lemon tea. That stuff is bloody vile,” this time it was Sirius’ turn for his eyes to widen in shock and awe. The twinkle in Remus’ eyes was strong as he gazed almost lovingly at Sirius, and although the pair had only just met, it was as if they could see their entire futures together. Sirius had only got the job at Latte Luna in an endeavour to find his soulmate, and it was clear Remus only ordered the disgusting raspberry and lemon tea for the exact same reasons. 

“Well gorgeous, I’m Sirius, and I’ve been waiting a bloody long time to meet you.” Giving no time for a reply, Sirius leaned down and pressed his lips to the chapped pair belonging to his shocked soulmate. Soulmate, god that sounded amazing to say, and he couldn’t wait to say it for the rest of his life.


	8. Tent Pegs & Torrential Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James planned a lovely weekend away camping, Regulus was willing to go along with it, but clearly the Universe has other plans for them as everything seems to be going wrong.

“When you proposed the idea of camping James, I assumed that meant you had some knowledge on how to camp,” Regulus couldn’t quite believe the mess they were in. Actually, Regulus could believe it, and wasn’t quite sure as to why he was shocked that once again, James had managed to mess up something significantly important. Such as forgetting the tent poles. And the pegs. 

“Well Regulus, I’d have thought you would know not to assume anything, because let’s be real, it’s me and I’m an existential crisis just waiting to happen,” he was mildly frustrated, having planned for a lovely romantic getaway, only to trip and stumble at the last hurdle. As per usual when it came to James planning things, he didn’t know why he bothered anymore.

“Well nobody questioned that one James, trust me, we all know about the inevitable, and unavoidable crisis,” Regulus was trying to make some kind of shelter with the ground sheet and a sturdy tree branch he had found, but was admittedly struggling. The wind had really picked up and the ominous clouds crowding above them were telling of the rain they were due to face. Clearly not the best time to be going camping, but again they were never the best when it came to making plans. Or more so, executing the plan.

“Right, I’m sorry James, I love you and all, but I refuse to stay here if it pisses it down with rain this evening. I don’t think I can cope.” James had practically his whole body inside the boot of the car, searching for what Regulus hoped, was the tent poles. He prayed that they had just fallen out of the bag while they were driving, and yet somehow knew that wasn’t going to be the case. popping his head up and pulling himself out of the car, Regulus noted the expression on James’ face, it was not screaming good news.

“You still love me right, because I also left the food back at the flat,” he was clearly sheepish as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, and Regulus privately thought that he had every right to be sheepish. He had managed to forget the important parts for keeping their shelter up, and the food. It was as if he had wanted them to fail.

“I take it back.” 

“Ha! Nope! No take backs!” James was much to happy for a person that would be cold, wet and starving within the next thirty minutes, and Regulus was completely over the whole camping thing. He had only agreed originally to make James happy, but now he didn’t even care, he was cold and tired and wanted to curl up in bed and watch Love Actually. 

With no warning, the heavens opened, and the rain began to pour, soaking the pair in seconds. Regulus struggled to remain calm, attempting to take a deep breath, only to shudder as the falling water made its way down his back. “Oh, and would you look at that, now it’s raining, surely this day can’t get better.”

“Would it kill you to go a day without being sarcastic?” The words were barely audible over the howling wind and thundering downpour, but Regulus was able to make them out enough to be further irritated.

“Probably.” The pair continued to stand and stare at each other, clearly at an impasse as to what to do. As much as Regulus knew how excited James was for this camping weekend, he just couldn’t understand the joy of sleeping in a soaking field.

“We were bloody doomed to fail James! No tent poles, or pegs, and now no bloody food! Throw in that the sky has decided to piss it down, I am completely over this whole outdoors thing; can we just go back home?” Regulus was exhausted with the whole situation. He’d got up early to pack and spent hours in the car only to be faced with the realisation that they had been set up for failure before they had even set off in the car. It was getting to be too much.

“We weren’t doomed to fail, we just weren’t prepared for success either,” he was too smug for a person who had just admitted their own failure without realising it. 

“That’s the same bloody thing James!”

“Oh, I suppose it is, I guess. Shall we go and stay in a hotel? We both still have the weekend off work?”

“That might be the best thing I’ve heard all day. I’ll be in the car while you pack all of this up,” with that he sauntered back to the car, endeavouring to warm himself up and relax. In a way, he was almost glad that everything had gone wrong, because as much as he loved James, he hated the thought of sleeping in a tent in the rain.


	9. All The Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and his father used to sit and watch the stars, now he had finally been given the opportunity to see them up close. With his partner Sirius at his side, Remus was going to honour his father’s dream and live amongst the stars. Space!AU

Gazing out at the stars surrounding them, Remus couldn’t believe they had finally done it. After many years of hard work, training and preparation, they had made it into space. Preparing for space and space travel itself had taken everything Remus had, all of his effort and strength just to make it to where he was now. Staring out of a space station window, admiring the stars and galaxies as they orbited, making their way towards their landing site; the moon. 

It was everything Remus had dreamed of and more. He could remember as a child, sitting with his dad and staring up at the sky, pointing out the multitude of constellations. They would take it in turns to name them, and his dad would always sound so wistful, as if wishing he could have explored them. That was when Remus first decided he wanted to be an astronaut. He worked hard, applied himself, and when he was accepted at NASA, he remembered the beaming smile on his dads face, filled with pride as everything started to come together.

Lyall Lupin had passed before being given the opportunity to see his son being jetted off into space, travelling the solar system in honour of the man who had shown him the stars when he was young. Remus knew his father would be proud, cheering him on as he made his way around the station he was sharing with one other astronaut. A man he had become exceedingly close with during their training, Sirius Black. They had met on their first day of professional astronaut training and had found themselves linked together ever since.

Travelling through the galaxy, alongside the stars and asteroids was the pinnacle of their relationship. There had a been a clear shift in their relationship since blasting off into space, from friends to something more. It was a relief, to have someone that he truly liked, and if Remus was being true to himself, loved, alongside him for the trip of a lifetime. Yet there was still a fear of it all going wrong and being left, stuck in an enclosed space for many months together. Sirius told him not to think like that, and to think of all the positives that came with them being together in space.

Just thinking of his fellow astronaut made Remus smile. He could hear Sirius making his way through an air lock to meet him, the observation deck had become their favourite place since reaching the space station. It gave them an area just for them, for them to sit and stare out at the stars as they listed off their hopes and dreams for a future together. Watching as the world continued moving on below them was obscure, and it made them feel so alone and separated from mankind. It also afforded them the opportunity to really see what was happening outside of their own little bubbles of life. It truly gave them the chance to appreciate what they had together more than they ever thought possible.

“Of all the stars in the sky, none of them shine brighter than you do,” Sirius always came through with romantic words, waxing poetry as if it was as easy as breathing. Remus knew he did it to witness him blush a tantalising shade of cherry red. Always taking joy in the way Remus would light up at the compliments, while equally shying away, as if disbelieving that anyone would compliment him. 

“Slightly ironic coming from the man who is literally named after a constellation,” it was something they joked about often, Sirius being at home with the other constellations. He had always found it highly ironic that the man named after a collection of stars had chosen to become an astronaut, travelling with the stars up close. Sirius said that he knew his calling in life from the time he was named, a bit dramatic if you asked Remus.

“Exactly, it means I know what I’m talking about. Only a star can decide who shines the brightest.” He sounded completely sure of himself, something that Remus had always been envious of, his ability to always be level-headed and calm in any situation. Taking a seat next to him, it was like two halves of a whole coming together. They orbited each other, constantly aware of where the other was at all times, their bodies reacting to such closeness and gentle touches the pair shared. 

The air surrounding them was enveloped in silence as they enjoyed the company of one another, and the ability to be so close. They gazed into the pitch black oblivion that was the universe. The sight of the stars and planets being so close never hesitated to take their breath away. It was in those moments when Remus felt complete, hands clasped with the man he truly loved and staring out at a view that never failed to make him feel like a small piece in a huge world. Holding hands in solidarity, a form of stability, as they grounded themselves in space, becoming each other’s personal gravity. Remus would happily live in that moment for the rest of his life.

“Promise me that this is forever.” He needed to hear the words, to know that this was truly where he belonged, with Sirius at his side forever.

“Trust me, I’m never letting you go.”


	10. Angelic Hands of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaise supposed that watching his mother kill one of his many step-fathers at a young age could be the reason behind his apathetic attitude towards romance.
> 
> Warning: Character Death, Descriptions of Character Dying, Murder

Blaise had witnessed death on multiple occasions. It wasn't discussed within the Zabini household, but everyone from the house elves to himself, knew what was truly happening to his step-fathers. With six husbands, his mother had learnt how to make it truly look like an accident. Growing up, he had struggled to understand what was happening, why he was constantly having new men paraded into his life to play the role of father. They would be around for a while, a couple of years at most and Blaise would finally open up to them and bond, only for them to end up dead and in the ground.

It was a never ending cycle of death and grief.

By the time he reached his teen years and was heading off to Hogwarts, Blaise had such a warped view on relationships he couldn't even empathise with people anymore. He had truly become apathetic towards romance; it was hard to make himself care after some of the things he had witnessed in his younger years. Blaise would always remember the look on his fourth step-fathers face as he withered away. Blaise had noticed that Antonio had been looking paler than was natural, the naturally bronze Italian man had struggled with breathing and moving around, something that was a surprise given he was a young sportsman. Blaise would later come to realise it had been the result of a slow acting poison his mother had sourced from a friend in the Amazon rain forest.

It was that evening when Blaise finally came to understand what was happening with his father figures, and why they kept disappearing from his life. He remembered that having awoken from a nightmare that left him terrified, he had shuffled out of his room and down the corridor, in search of safety in the form of his mother. The door had creaked open at the gentlest push, having not been shut properly beforehand, leaving the smallest gap for Blaise to peer through. With widened eyes in a beautiful shade of chocolate brown, Blaise struggled to take in the scene before him. Antonio was crawling towards the bed, his breathing laboured and body weak as he fought to reach his wand, the poison inside him making its way through his nervous system. His wand, which Blaise could clearly see, was resting under the heeled shoe on his mothers foot.

Blaise vividly recalled watching as she leaned over, an olive hand cupping her husbands chin as she placed a kiss upon his forehead, before stamping her foot upon the wand beneath her foot. It had shattered under her heel at the same time as Antonio took his last laboured breath, before falling to the floor in a slump. His mother had stepped away from the warm body of her husband with such a look of pride, that Blaise had been horrified. He must have made a noise of some kind, as her eyes flashed up to meet his through the crack in the door.

It was as if a switch had flicked within her. Blaise remembered her hurrying towards him, throwing open the door and scooping him into her arms. She had taken him back to his bedroom, hushing his cries and tucking him back into bed with reassuring kisses to the forehead. In the days that passed after Antonio's death, his mother had watched him intensely, constantly reassuring herself that he was okay and there was no adverse reactions to what he had witnessed that night.

Back then, Blaise had shown no change in behaviour, still the happy young boy that his mother had endeavoured to raise. He wanted for nothing and lived a good life filled with love from his mother and the revolving door of step-fathers. And yet now, it was clear that the events of that night had shredded his perception of the world and the way it worked. He was sour towards romance and the entire concept of love and marriage was tarnished by the lingering memory of death. He wanted no part in it and refused to entertain the idea that love was something he should search for in life. It was a bleak outlook on life, Blaise was willing to admit, but it was an outlook that would ensure his heart was protected from potential heartbreak and he never had to worry about letting someone in again.


	11. Sugar Sweet Explorations (Dean&Seamus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Seamus were a pair, always together and the best of friends. It was natural of course for the pair to be off exploring the new areas of the Wizarding World, and of course they would be starting with the wonders of Hogsmeade.

Head turning in every direction, Dean was completely amazed at what he was seeing. He had thought for sure that after a couple of years at Hogwarts, nothing could surprise him anymore. Yet here he was in the middle of Hogsmeade, in complete awe of everything he was seeing. Seamus was at his side, as usual for the pair who were as thick as thieves, struggling to contain his laughter at Dean, whose eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"You're going to get a crick in your neck if you keep turning so fast," Seamus managed to stutter out through his chuckles, positive that Dean was going to give himself a case of whiplash if he didn't calm down.

"This place is amazing Seamus! No one would believe that such an unassuming place could be filled with so much magic. It's bloody fantastic!" The pair were scattering the fallen leaves surrounding them with every step they took, and in his moment of excitement, Dean kicked a huge pile up into the air, showering the students walking ahead of them.

"Merlin Dean! Calm yourself or we'll be sent back to the castle sharpish. Half the time I forget you were raised muggle, and then you freak out at the sight of Hogsmeade, it's bloody hilarious," it was never mean spirited when they teased one another, they found it entertaining to compare the different ways in which they had grown up. Dean was Muggle raised, and often found himself lost in the fast paced world of Magic, in comparison, Seamus struggled to comprehend the ways that Muggles lived without magic, leaving him rather gullible to any tall tales Dean would spin. It was how their friendship worked though, they helped one another explore and experience the different world's they had each grown up in, expanding their knowledge and understanding of the different ways people lived their lives.

Dean buried his noise into the green scarf his mother had forced him to bring, the Autumn chill was more biting than he had expected, and the wind alone left his cheeks red and lips chapped. Even with the warnings of the cold, there had been no way that Dean was going to pass up his first trip to Hogsmeade, he couldn't wait to explore the village and all of the shops. Seamus had been going on since their first year about how unfair it was that they couldn't visit, and the wonders of Honeydukes, and now they were finally getting to experience it, there would be no hanging around.

"Come on Seamus, let's go! Where to first?" With that they were off, running between the groups of students, swerving around the adults that were out and about, they were on a mission to see everything and anything. They peered through the windows of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, squishing their faces into the glass window and making teasing, funny faces at those they recognised inside.

"We have to go to Honeydukes first Dean! It's like, a right of passage!" Seamus led the way through the village and towards the shop that called to every witch and wizard, the crowd outside could attest to that. Bundling in with a group of older students, the sight before them left Dean gobsmacked, Seamus was too filled with awe even after growing up within Magical society. A multitude of shelves had been crammed inside the shop, each filled with masses of sweets and confectionery of such variety. There was no way anyone could remember everything that was sold, and it would take an age to test every single treat that could be purchased.

Dean was quite sure he had never seen anything before like Honeydukes. While entering Hogwarts had been magical, an experience that he was sure could never be topped, Honeydukes was a reincarnation of every childhood dream he could ever remember. Sweets upon sweets filled the shop floor, the smell of sugar and rich chocolate permeated through the air, enticing them further into the shop. He didn't know where to look, his eyes flitting from shelf to shelf, everything and anything catching his eye. Chocolate frogs were leaping from shelf to shelf, sugar sweet bubbles in a vivid shade of royal blue filled the air and in one corner, a barrel of bonbons had begun to explode.

Seamus snagged a stray Fizzing Whizzbee from a shelf, popping it into his mouth as they moved further inside. Their laughter was explosive as he levitated in the air for a few moments, his lips puckering at the overbearing sourness of the sweet in his mouth, before falling back to the ground. The need to explore the shelves, inspect every product, and taste test as much as possible was impossible to override as they delved into the products. Dean was particularly drawn to the gigantic slabs of handmade chocolate, with different flavours and toppings, it was something from his dreams and fantasies. He poked at the ice mice, prodded the jelly slugs and couldn't resist testing a couple of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, delighting in the refreshing lemon taste of one, while feeling revolted at the anchovy flavouring coming from the grey bean. He couldn't resist the delicate and fragile Sugar Quills, so realistic he was sure no one would notice if he happened to sneak one into his next History of Magic class. It was everything he had been expecting and hoping for, plus so much more. It was hard to believe that these kinds of places existed, and Muggles were oblivious to it all.

"Seamus, this is amazing!" They rounded the shelving unit from opposite ends, coming together in the middle. Grins were stretched across their faces and it seemed their excitement was endless. Having snuck the odd treat and consumed a vast quantity of sugar, the pair were hyper, ready to take on the rest of Hogsmeade and see what they could find on their exploration of the village.

"Aye, it is! My ma would kill me if she saw how much I'm getting," their arms were laden down with all of the treats they just had to have, knowing that they wouldn't be back for a couple of weeks. Plus, there was nothing better then curling up in front of the Gryffindor fireplace and indulging in some sweet snacks after a long Autumn day filled with lessons and Slytherins. With that the pair made their way to the register, exchanging handfuls of Knuts and the odd Sickle for their massive selection of treats, at least one of everything they had been able to snatch up from the shelves (for experimentation purposes they assured one another).

With bags weighing them down, the pair made their way back out into the crisp Autumn air. Seamus was distracted blowing bubbles with his Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Dean had found himself nibbling at the end of a Sugar Quill. They were leaning on one another, howling with laughter and just genuinely enjoying the moment as they struggled to decide where to explore next. It was how it always was and would be, the pair together, relying on one another through thick and thin, knowing that they would always be there for other. Neither had ever had a friendship so strong before, but they thought themselves lucky to have found their best friend so early in life. It almost felt like fate had stepped in when they shared that boat back on their first day, letting them know that they needed to look no further for their other half.


End file.
